"Zhong Guo?" After Liu Mang uttered this name, the faces of the Yangzhou civil and military officials changed. Everyone began to ponder.
Among them, there were some who were happy. For example, when did Zhong Guo come from? It came from Yang Hong's former master, His Highness the King Of Shu, Liu Mang's father-in-law, Yuan Shu Yuan Gonglu. Yuan Shu had always believed that the surname Yuan came from Chen. After Chen Shishun, he used earth to bear fire. He also believed that the prophecy said, "Those who take the place of the Han should be Tu Gao." It was referring to himself. Therefore, after Yuan Shu obtained the imperial jade seal, he often had the ambition to become an emperor.
In the winter of 195 AD (the second year of Xingping), the rebel generals Li Jue and Guo Si pursued Emperor Xian of Han and hundreds of officials in the Cao Yangjian area of Hongnong County. Yang Feng, who was protecting Emperor Xian and Xian Ting, was defeated by the rebel army. Emperor Xian fled to the north of the Yellow River. Yuan Shu thought that the time had come, so he summoned his subordinates for a meeting and said, "Nowadays, the Liu family's power has declined, and the world is in turmoil. Our Yuan family's four generations are all important ministers in the imperial court. The common people are willing to submit to me. I want to follow the will of heaven and follow the will of the people. I want to ascend the throne now. What do you all think? " When everyone heard this, no one dared to say anything. Only the secretary Yan Xiang said, "In the past, the Zhou people, from their ancestor Hou Ji to King Wen, accumulated merit and accumulated merit. It could be said that they had two of the three parts of the world. However, they still carefully served the Shang dynasty. Duke Ming, although you have been a high official for many generations, I am afraid you are not as prosperous as the Ji family. Although the Han dynasty is declining, it is not comparable to the cruel and tyrannical King Zhou of Yin! "Yuan Shu listened to Yan Xiang's words and did not say anything. However, he was very angry in his heart.
Not long after, the Hanoi man Zhang Ji divined for him that he had the destiny to become an emperor. He used this as a reason to become an emperor in 197 AD (the second year of Jian 'an) in Shouchun. He established the Zhong family, appointed officials, and worshipped them in the southern and northern suburbs.
From then on, the State of Zhong appeared in the land of Huaxia.
However, it was a pity that Yuan Shu's luck wasn't good. It could even be said that he was extremely unlucky.
When he proclaimed himself as the Emperor, one of the reasons was because of the Han dynasty's prestige. Although it had been attacked again and again, his prestige had not fallen to a low point. Everyone still obeyed the Han dynasty. Even if they had ulterior motives, they still obeyed the Han dynasty on the surface.
Secondly, Yuan Shu had too many enemies around him. Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Ce, and Liu Mang's father-in-law, Lü Bu, were all there.
After Yuan Shu became the Emperor, he appointed the Governor of Jiujiang as the Governor of Huainan and appointed many officials and officials. He also built altars in the north and south of the city for the Emperor to worship the Celestial Emperor. In life, he was extravagant and dissolute, spending without restraint. There were hundreds of wives and concubines in the harem, all of whom were dressed in gaudy clothes. There were all kinds of exquisite food, but the soldiers in his army were in a state of hunger and cold. Under his corrupt rule, the people in Jianghuai had no way to make a living. Many places were cut off from human habitation. During the famine, there were even cases of cannibalism. At the same time, Yuan Shu's act of proclaiming himself the Emperor was despised by the nobles of the world. Yuan Shu became everyone's enemy, and not long after, he was attacked by Sun Ce, Lü Bu, and Cao Cao. Firstly, Sun Ce broke away from Yuan Shu in Jiangdong and became independent. He chased away Danyang Governor Yuan Yin, who was appointed by Yuan Shu. This caused Yuan Shu's Guangling Governor Wu Jing and General Sun Ben to abandon Sun Ce after receiving Sun Ce's letter (both of them were relatives of Sun Ce). This caused Yuan Shu to lose Guangling, Jiangdong, and many other large pieces of land. Secondly, Lü Bu defeated Yuan Shu's army and plundered Huaibei. Thirdly, when Cao Cao invaded Chen County, he defeated Yuan Shu and forced Yuan Shu to flee to Huainan.
Afterwards, Yuan Shu encountered a great drought and famine in the winter of 197 AD. His strength was severely damaged, and there were tragedies of cannibalism everywhere in Jianghuai. At that time, Prime Minister Shu Shao advised Yuan Shu to distribute grain to save the starving people. Yuan Shu was furious and wanted to kill him. Zhong Ying said, "Knowing that death is inevitable, I am willing. I would rather use my own life to save the common people. " Yuan Shu was touched and said, "Zhong Ying, do you want to enjoy the world's name alone? Will you not share the evil with me?" He listened to Zhong Ying. However, at this time, Yuan Shu's decline was irreversible. Later on, troops Chen Lan and Lei Bo rebelled and plundered grain and ran to Mount Xiao.
In 199 AD, Yuan Shu, who was at the end of his rope, gave the emperor title to Yuan Shao and wanted to seek refuge with Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan, who was the governor of Qingzhou. In the end, on the way, he was intercepted by Liu Bei and Zhu Lingjun sent by Cao Cao. Yuan Shu could not pass. He retreated to Shouchun and wanted to go to Mount Xiao to seek refuge, but Lei Bo and the others refused. After three days, the soldiers ran out of grain, so he retreated to Jiangting. At that time, the army only had thirty grains of wheat. It was June, and Yuan Shu wanted honey to quench his thirst, but there was no honey. After sighing for a long time, he said, "Yuan Shu has to go to this extent!" In the end, he vomited blood and died.
However, it was different now.
The Han dynasty's prestige was now completely gone. Who didn't know that the little emperor Liu Xie had completely become Cao Cao's puppet? It could be said that he no longer had the power to kill.
Cao Cao even killed the little emperor's pregnant concubine Dong. The result was that the Han dynasty's prestige had fallen to the bottom.
As long as one was Cao Cao's enemy, they would not recognize the little emperor's position.
Even in Xu Du, everyone was looking at Cao Cao and not the little emperor Liu Xie. Rather than saying that it was the Han dynasty, it was better to say that it was the Wei dynasty.
There was also the enemy. Although Cao Cao had now become the overlord of the north, occupying You Zhou, Bing Zhou, Ji Zhou, Qing Zhou, Yan Zhou, Zhili, and several other provinces.
However, our King Of Shu, Liu Mang, was not the least bit inferior. Yangzhou, Jiangdong, Xuzhou, Jiao Zhou, Yu Zhou, and a small part of Jingzhou could be considered the overlords of the Central Plains.
As for Liu Bei, he was still working hard in Jingzhou, preparing to take over other people's territories. Sun Ce had already subdued Liu Mang. As for Lü Bu, he was basically on the same side as Liu Mang!
In such a good situation, if Liu Mang were to proclaim himself as an emperor, there would be nothing to say.
Therefore, the eyes of Yang Hong and the others lit up. If Liu Mang were to proclaim himself as an emperor, then he would inherit Yuan Shu's legacy. Some of the other generals of Yangzhou were also looking at Liu Mang with shining eyes.
Once Liu Mang became an emperor, each of them would become ministers of the dragon. This kind of contribution would inevitably make them rise in status, and they would be able to obtain as many official titles as they wanted.
Their eyes were shining.
"Milord is wise!" Yang Hong and the others suddenly knelt down and praised Liu Mang.
"I am wise?" Liu Mang was also stunned. What was he wise about?
Some people were happy, while others were frowning. For example, Tian Feng's brows were tightly knitted. He seemed to disagree with Liu Mang's idea of proclaiming himself emperor. Of course, Tian Feng was not loyal to the Han dynasty. It could even be said that the decline of the Han dynasty's prestige was due to Tian Feng's contribution.
He instigated Liu Yu to proclaim himself emperor, and then even made Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, welcome the Han emperor. He was preparing to do the same thing as Cao Cao. He was preparing to use the emperor to command his vassals. Who would put Liu Xie in their eyes? They followed the principle that whoever had the biggest fist was the king. It was a pity that Yuan Shao did not listen to them.
"Milord, this matter must not be allowed." Tian Feng looked at Liu Mang and said.
"Hm?" Liu Mang was puzzled. Why must it not be allowed?
"Tian Feng, my lord inherits the old Milord's will. Should it be allowed or not? My Zhong country will reappear in this world. This is the will of the heavens. The surname Yuan comes from Chen, and Chen is the descendant of Shun. My lord, as the son-in-law of the Yuan family, should also inherit the Yuan family's will and become the descendant of Yao and Shun. Zhong country must not be allowed! " Yang Hong was generally a good old man. He was always smiling to everyone. However, this time, Yang Hong was not willing to give in.
"Proclaim himself emperor? Inherit Yuan Shu's will? "Liu Mang was even more confused. What were these two talking about?
Tian Feng shook his head, "Yang Hong, your words are wrong. Although the Yuan family has been the Three Dukes for four generations, it is impossible to verify whether they are the descendants of Yao and Shun. What if they are the descendants of Zhong country? Moreover, although the world is big, it has not reached the point of changing dynasties. The Han dynasty's legacy is still being passed down. Why would there be a need for another country? If the Yuan family is really the will of the heavens, I'm afraid this world would have become the Zhong country long ago! "
"According to Lord Tian Feng's words, my lord should listen to that Han Emperor Liu Xie's words and wait for death. You and I are both Han traitors. Are we just going to sit and wait for death?" Yang Hong also opposed Tian Feng.
"Sit and wait for death? How is that possible? My words are not asking my lord to sit and wait for death. That Han Emperor Liu Xie does not know right from wrong, good from bad, and treats a loyal subject of the Great Han as a Han thief. This is because he has eyes but cannot see. Although he is in Xu Du, he is actually a puppet of that Cao Cao. This is a disgrace to the Han dynasty. Originally, he was Prince Chen Liu. Later, because of Dong Zhuo's chaos, he took the throne. This kind of Han Emperor, do we need to obey? Since the Han Emperor has no virtue, then let the virtuous take the throne. My lord is a relative of the Han dynasty, and is also the King Of Shu. Since the Han Emperor has no virtue, then he should abdicate and let my lord take the throne. This subject Tian Feng greets Your Majesty the Han Emperor! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! "Tian Feng knelt down and shouted toward Liu Mang.
It turned out that Tian Feng did not oppose Liu Mang's ascension to the throne, but wanted Liu Mang to directly become the Han Emperor. He did not want to inherit the legacy of the Zhong country. After all, the Zhong country was a small imperial court that was defeated and had the identity of a traitor.
Yang Hong looked at Tian Feng with a guilty look on his face. It was Yang Hong who didn't think it through. He only cared about the will of the late lord, but he didn't know that Zhong Guo had been branded as a traitor.
"This old subject greets Your Majesty the Han Emperor. Long live the Emperor!" Yang Hong also knelt down, indicating that he agreed with Tian Feng's words.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!" Zhuge Liang, Lu Su, and the others also knelt down and greeted Liu Mang.
"This, this, this?" Liu Mang was completely dumbfounded.
What kind of situation is this? Who told you that I want to be emperor? Liu Mang was speechless. When he mentioned Zhong Guo, it was to tell everyone that the demotion of nobility was not a big deal. It was because of Liu Mang that Yangzhou was able to change from a desolate and uninhabited area to a prosperous and magnificent place like it is now.
Therefore, the people here did not think of the Han Emperor, but the King Of Shu, Liu Mang. They even considered themselves as people of Yangzhou and not people of the Han Dynasty.
Most people knew that there was a King Of Shu, Liu Mang, but they did not know that there was a Han Emperor, Liu Xie.
However, Liu Mang did not explain clearly. When he mentioned the Zhong country, the people of Yangzhou immediately misunderstood.
Zhong country? Wasn't that the title Yuan Shu had established on his own? You, as the Lord, telling us about the Zhong country, is telling us that you are going to be independent? What if Liu Mang did not have the qualifications to do so? Perhaps the people of Yangzhou would not care so much. However, Yangzhou had the right time, the right place, and the right people.
First, Liu Mang's identity was a member of the Han Dynasty. This was one of the conditions to become the Emperor.
Second, Liu Mang was now the overlord of the Central Plains. He had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command. Yangzhou was developing vigorously. The Shouchun Industrial Zone had new weapons and armor. There was also the cannon that was used as a deterrent.
Third, the Yangzhou officials had their own thoughts. Liu Mang was only the King Of Shu. If he became the Emperor, his position would be very different. There would be the Three Ministers, Nine Ministers, Gongbo, Marquis, Zinan, and other titles.
Suddenly, the people of Yangzhou "understood" the Lord's meaning.
"No, no, how can I, Liu Mang, become the Emperor?" Liu Mang explained. Become the Emperor? Was this a joke? If he became the Emperor, would he, Liu Mang, still be able to go out and play? Even though Liu Mang is now the lord of Yangzhou, he also knows that his foundation is obtained from his cheap father-in-law Lu Bu. Liu Mang also knows that his foundation is obtained from his cheap father-in-law Lu Bu. What if that cheap father-in-law of his was unhappy? What should he do?
Now that Liu Mang was the King Of Shu, Lü Bu did not care. If Liu Mang became the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, how could Lü Bu not care?
The Emperor's family was ruthless. The position of Emperor was created by the deaths of many people.
Therefore, Liu Mang refused.
However, the more Liu Mang refused, the more the other people wanted Liu Mang to be the Emperor. This was because in everyone's eyes, this was a sign of modesty.
If you directly accept the position of Emperor, it means that you have long been ambitious. If you repeatedly decline, it means that you have no choice but to sit on the Emperor's throne for the sake of the people of the world.
Simply put, it was to save face.
"I really don't want to be the Emperor!" Liu Mang was about to cry.
"Your Majesty, if you are not willing to inherit the throne for the sake of the common people, we will hang ourselves here!" Tian Feng directly used his trump card.
"If Your Majesty refuses, we will hang ourselves here!" All of a sudden, they all knelt down.
"This, this, this!" Liu Mang was dumbfounded. Using death to force him!
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